The Bailout

I have to tell you that living in Michigan is not fun right now. The whole country has been watching to see if the Big 3 is going to get their bailout. The executives of these companies have been made to look so foolish. There was even a spoof on Saturday Night Live where they were portrayed to look stupid. I must have missed the spoof on the banking industry. I have been very torn over this issue. Having lived in the Detroit area virtually my whole life where if you have a job within the auto industry you can make a decent living, it is impossible to imagine them gone. I know people that have worked and currently work for the Big 3. Many of them have been making a lot of money over the years and have never been afraid to tell me how much they get away with. They are afraid now. I also know many that have worked very hard and have not taken advantage of their employers. My job is directly related to the automotive industry and our sales have decreased by 40%. If that doesn't pick up soon my company will have to make cuts. The average time in service where I work is 10 years. None of the people there will get $75,000 buyouts or $25,000 car vouchers to leave. We will just get unemployment for a year amounting to horrible credit ratings and lost homes. All the Big 3 is asking for is a loan. If they are not given the money the money will have to be given to the people of this area to survive so either way the money will have to come. The ironic thing is that the money was easily handed over to the banking management when in that case it should have been given to the people that were in trouble in their homes. Had they done that people could have made their mortgage payments and the banks ultimately would have gotten their money. Now the banks got their money and the people are still in trouble. What the hell were they thinking? This year my family has gone through some tough times. My husband was off work due to an injury where his disability pay was less than half of what he normally brought home. Then when he went back to work he was permanently laid off without any type of severance package. Fortunately he was able to find a new job albeit at 18% less than he was making before. Also a result of our circumstances I have changed my status from part time to full time. Thank God I was able to do that. It is still a fact that if either of us lose our jobs now when we are so close to getting things back to "normal" then you can put a fork in us!